Emil d



(No Model.)

B. D. HEINEMANN. LACE FASTENER.

No. 586,818, Patented July 20, 1897.

1 4 V4 170 j Z a a f f c A J z 0 Q2 Z Z fiftifiwsas. WfiM W UNirnnSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL D. IIEINEMANN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE TITANMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LACE-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,818, dated July 20,1897'.

Application filed April 13, 1897. Serial No. 632,048. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL D. IIEINEMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Lace- Fastener, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to lace-fasteners.

The object of the invention is to provide a fastener for securing thelaces of shoes, gloves, corsets, umbrellas, and the like, wherein thelace is held in a single loop in such manner that the tighter the strainthereon the more securely it is gripped and clamped.

The invention consists, substantially, in the construction, combination,location, and relative arrangement, all as will be more fullyhereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings, andfinally specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings and to the various views and reference signsappearing thereon, Figure 1 is a view slightly in perspective of afastener embodying my invention for use upon the left-hand side of theshoe or other article to which the fastener is to be applied. Fig. 2 isa similar View of a fastener for the right-hand side of the article.Figs. 3 and l are respectivelya plan and side elevation of the leftfastener shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectivelya plan and sideelevation of the right fastener shown in Fig. 2.

In carrying my invention into practice the body portion of the fasteneris formed of a single strand of wire bent into one complete coil orconvolution and an additional partial convolution superimposed thereonand lying in the same vertical plane therewith, and the ends are bent atsubstantially right angles to the plane of the coils and aresuitablybeveled, preferably in intersecting planes, to facilitate theinsertion thereof in the fabric or material to which the fastener is tobe applied and the clenching thereof on the inner side of such fabric ormaterial.

In the drawings, reference-sign A designates the complete coil of thebody portion of the fastener, said coil beginning, say, at the point aand ending with one complete c011- volut-ion or coil at the point I),and the partial convolution or coil B forms a continuation of thecomplete coil and starts at the point I) and terminates at the point 0,the partial coil or convolution I being superimposed upon and lying inthe same plane with the coil A between the points I) and c. The wireforming the complete coil or convolution A is bent at right angles withthe plane of such coil at the point a to form the end C of the fastener,such end at the extremity thereof being beveled, as at (Z. From thepoint cthe wire forming the upper or partial coil Bis deflected or bentinwardly into the space inclosed by the coil A and downwardly to thepoint f. Thence the wire is bent outwardly and to the point y, directlyunderneath the coil A, from which point the wire is bent atsubstantially right angles to the plane of coil A to form the end D,said end being beveled at the extremity thereof, as at h, and preferablyin a plane in angular relation with respect to the plane of the bevel dof the end C.

Of course it will be seen that a shoulder at the point f is notessential, as the important feature is to so arrange the terminal of theupper or partial convolution that the lace or cord to be held will passunder the near edge of the complete coil A, then over the terminalportion of the upper partial convolution B, and then between theadjacent or proxt mate surfaces of the coils A B.

From this description it will be seen that the complete coil A is at onepoint underneath the partial coil B and at another point over that partof the wire forming a continuation of the partial coil B from the pointf to the point g. It will also be seen that the portion of the wireextending from and forming a continuation of the end D to the point e,and which portion has a bend therein at the point f, thereby forming ashoulder at that point, lies partly in a plane above the coil A andpartly in a plane below said coil, and hence when the lace to be securedis inserted in a single loop between the coil A and the partial coil 13such lace is securely gripped between the coil A and the partial coil B,and by reason of such lace passing under the partial coil B and overthat portion of the wire extending from c to f and under the coil A atthe point F any strain exerted upon the lace in a direction tending todraw it lengthwise through the fastener after once properly insertedserves to elevate the near edge of the coil A, (indicated at F,) andhence to correspondingly depress the partial coil B, thereby clamping orgripping the lace more tightly between the partial coil B and thatportion of the coil A lying directly underneath the same. In the samemanner any strain exerted upon the lace in a direction to depress theportion of the wire extending from the point e to the point f, the lacepassing over this portion of the wire when properly inserted in thefastener, has the effect of more firmly clamping or gripping the lacebetween the partial coil B and that portion of the coil A lying directlyunderneath the same, and in the operation of inserting the lace in thefastener the said lace is forced over the shoulder formed at the pointf, thereby preventing such lace from working out of the fastener in use.

Thus it will be seen that I provide an exceedingly simple and efficientlace-fastener wherein strains upon the lace in a direction to withdrawthe same from the fastener serve only to clamp or grip it more firmly,wherein working out of the lace is prevented, and wherein the lace isefficiently clamped and held.

It will also be seen that by the construction as above described Iproduce a fastener wherein the lace may be easily and with facilityinserted or introduced to the fastener or removed therefrom when it isdesired to lace or unlace the shoe, glove, or the like.

In the fasteners of prior constructions it has been found necessary inorder to securely hold the laces after being inserted in the fastener toarrange the clamping or holding parts of the fastener in such closeproximity to each other that it is difficult to remove or insert thelace therein in unlacing or lacing, and hence the lace is soon worn orbroken. No such difficulty is present in my fastener, as the holding orgripping of the lace is not dependent upon the close proximity of thegripping parts, but to the peculiar construction of the fastener,whereby the lace is passed under and over certain portions of thefastener, as above explained, instead of merely between such portions.

Having now set forth the object and nature of my invention and aconstruction and arrangement embodying the same, what I claim as new anduseful and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States, is

1. A lace-fastener, comprising a single strand of wire bent to formconvolutions, the end of one convolution bent inwardly into the spaceinclosed by the other convolution, then outwardly, thereby forming ashoulder, and finally downwardly at an angle to the plane of the otherconvolution, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A lace-fastener, comprising a single strand of wire bent to form alower complete convolution and an upper partial convolution, the end ofthe upper convolution being bent inwardly and downwardly and thenoutwardly and underneath the lower convolution and finally at an anglewith the plane of such convolutions, as and for the purpose set forth.

8. A lace-fastener formed of a continuous wire and comprising a bodyportion formed of a complete convolution and a partial convolutionsuperimposed thereon,the wire forming the partial convolution being bentinwardly and downwardly into the space inclosed by said completeconvolution and thence outwardly underneath said complete convolution,and having securing ends, as and for the purpose set forth.

4:. A lace-fastener, consisting of a single wire formed into continuousconvolutions superimposed upon each other and lying in the same verticalplane, the free end of the lower convolution bent at substantially rightangles to the plane of such convolution and in the same vertical planetherewith, the end of the upper convolution bent inwardly and downwardlyforming a shoulder in the space inclosed by said convolutions, andthence outwardly underneath the lower convolution and finallyterminating in a securing end bent at right angles. to the plane of theconvolutions and lying in the same vertical plane therewith, as and forthe purpose set forth.

5. A lace fastener comprising a single strand of wire bent to form acomplete convolution and a partial convolution arranged to overlie thecomplete convolution, the end of the partial convolutionbein g bentinwardly and downwardly beneath the complete convolution, the terminalsof said convolutions forming securing ends for the fastener, as and forthe purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 5th day of April,1807, in the pres ence of the subscribing witnesses.

EMIL D. HEINEUANN.

Attest:

JOHN P. DABNEY, S. E. DARBY.

